Electric heater apparatus



June 17, 1958 e. E. PRICE ELECTRIC HEATER APPARATUS Filed July 51, 1956&

FIG-3 INVENTOF.

GEORGE E.PRICE [Am/1.6M ATTORNEY United States Patent ELECTRIC HEATERAPPARATUS George E. Price, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to WestinghouseElectric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application July 31, 1956, Serial No. 601,253

4 Claims. (Cl. 219-37) This invention relates to a heating unitstructure of a type having application to a cooking platform of adomestic electric range and has for an object to provide improved meansfor tiltably supporting and locking the heating unit in the platform.

It is an object of this invention to simplify the looking means forpreventing accidental detachment of a tiltably supported heating unitfrom a mounting platform when the unit is tilted to gain access to adrip pan therebeneath, particularly where the unit has electricalconnections fixed thereto.

It is a further object of this invention to improve the construction andreduce the cost of a'permanently wired tiltable electric heater unit ina range of the like.

The invention accomplishes the above objects and, as shown and describedhereinafter, is applied to a sheathed electrical resistance heatingelement that is coiled to form a flat heating surface and is supportedin an opening in a platform by means of a supporting ring. The ringcomprises a flange overlying the platform and has a vertical cylindricalwall depending within the platform opening. The heater is supported on aledge projecting inwardly from a lower portion of this wall. Attached tothe heater and extending horizontally to one side thereof is a metal barwhich extends outwardly through an aperture in the vertical wall of thering. This bar forms a swivel connection for tiltably supporting theheater so that the latter may be tilted to clean or remove a drip panlocated beneath the heater. A helically coiled tension spring isconnected between the ring and the outer end of the bar at the outsideof the ring. When .the heater is disposed in the ring with its heatingsurface horizontal, this spring biases a portion of the heater intolatching engagement with the opposite side of the ring. The heater maybe manually unlatched from the ring by moving it against the spring biaswhereupon the heater may be pivoted on the bar. The spring forms aninterfering means or lock to prevent the bar from being withdrawn fromthe aperture in "the ring, thus preventing accidental or inadvertentseparation of the heater from the platform. With this arrangement, theuser is unable to manipulate the heater so as to impart any damagingstresses to the electrical leads that may be permanently attached to theheater terminals. This construction also prevents the heater from beingaccidentally dropped through the opening in the platform when the drippan is removed.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will beapparent from the following description and claims taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a surface heating unit supported in a heaterplatform;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line III-III of Fig. 2, butshowing a portion of the drip pan; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section similar to Fig. 2

but with the heater pivoted from its normal horizontal position.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, an electrical heater unit 11is shown supported in a platform 12 defining a cooking surface of aconventional domestic range. The heater 11 is located in an opening inthe platform bounded by a wall 13 depending therefrom. The heater 11comprises a spirally coiled tubular sheath containing a resistanceelement which is electrically insulated therefrom by a granularinsulating material in a manner well known in the art. The heater 11comprises from which wall the ledge extends inwardly. The ring is biasedto the right, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, by means of a leaf spring 19which snaps into a notch in the verti cal wall 13 of the platform. Thisspring 19 acts as a detent in the notch to prevent the left side of thering as seen in Figs. 1 and 2 from freely rising out of the platformopening.

Located beneath the heating element is a drip pan 21 having a peripheralhorizontally or outwardly extending flange 22 resting on the ledge 15.The legs of the spider 14 may rest upon the flange 22 so as to besupported by' the ledge 15. The drip pan is cut away, as shown at 23 inthe drawings to accommodate the terminal end portions 26 and 27 of theheater sheath which extend down-' wardly and horizontally to the side ofthe heater be-l neath the ring 16 and platform 12. Extending from eachof the heater end portions 26 and 27 is a terminal member for makingelectrical connections to the resistance element of the heater, theseterminal members being enclosed and protected by an electricallyinsulating termi- 11211 block 30. A drip shield 35 is attached to theend portions of the heater at a point located beneath the ring 16 and/orplatform 12 to prevent drippage from flowing along the heater sheath andreaching the terminal block This drip 30 and the electrical connectionstherein. shield 35 is formed by a flat metal plate having a pair ofopenings through which the end portions 26 and 27 of the heater sheathextend, these end portions being rigidly attached thereto as by staking.

A metal strip member 40 is attached to the heater by welding orotherwise rigidly securing it to the drip shield 35 at a point betweenthe heater end portions 26 and 27.-

A lower extension of the strip member 40 carries a screw for making anelectrical ground connection to the heater 11. This strip member 40 isbent to extend forwardly from the drip shield 35 toward the center ofthe heater, thence upwardly and rearwardly with a portion thereofforming a flat bar 41 extending above the drip shield 35 andhorizontally through an aperture 42 in the vertical wall 18 of the ring16 at a point diametrically opposite the leaf spring 19. The end of thebar 41 located at the outside of the ring 16 is bent downwardly to forma spring anchor and abutment 44 to be referred to hereinafter. awayadjacent the opening 42 in the ring 16 to accommodate the bar 41. Sincethe bar 41 extends beneath the platform it prevents the lifting of theadjacent side of the ring from the platform opening.

A helically coiled spring 50 is connected between the outer end of thebar 41 and the ring 16 to bias the heater to the left, as seen in Figs.1 and 2. The spring has a the ring 16 and encircling the ledge 15. Theother end Patented June 17, 1955 The depending wall 13 of the platformis cut;

of the spring is formed with an elongated loop 52, the longer dimensionof which extends in the direction of the axis of the helically coiledportion of the spring. The outer end of the bar 41 and a portion of theabutment 44 are formed with a slot 45 to permit the elongated loop 52 toencircle a portion of the abutment 44-. When the spring is tensioned tobias the heater to the left, as shown in Fig. 2, the portion of theabutment 44 encircled by the spring rests in the outer end of theelongated loop 52. In this position, a tab 53 on one leg of the spiderdiametrically opposite the terminal portion of the heater 11 is biasedinto an opening 54 in the ring 16 to latch the heater in its horizontalposition.

When the heater is manually moved to the position shown in Fig. 4, thetension of the spring may be relaxed and the portion of the abutment 44encircled by the elongated loop 52 may slide within this loop to the endthereof nearest the coiled portion of the spring 50, thereby permittingsome movement of the bar 41 through the opening in the ring. However,the extent of this movement is limited by the engagement of the abutmentwith the other end of the loop whereupon the helically coiled portion ofthe spring may be compressed between the portion of the ring 16encircled by the loop 51 and the abutment 44. The ring opening 42through which the bar 41 extends is of such size or so proportioned asto permit insertion of the bar therethrough before the spring 50 isattached to the abutment 44 and also to permit horizontal and limitedpivotal movement of the bar therein, but preventing substantialtransverse movement of said bar. The spring is so disposed when attachedto the ring 16 and to the bar 41 as to block or interfere with theremoval of the bar from the ring opening 42.

This invention as described above permits the heater 11 to be tilted inthe platform opening in order to gain access to the drip pan Z1 and toservice the electric connections for the heater. However, the heater 11cannot be completely removed from the platform opening without detachingthe spring 50. Thus, permanent electrical connections to the heaterterminals are protected from abuse and the heater is secured to theplatform so that it cannot accidentally be dropped through the platformopening when the drip pan 21 is removed.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obviousto those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but issusceptible of various changes and modifications without departing fromthe spirit thereof.

- What is claimed is:

1. An electric heater structure comprising a platform having an openingtherein, a wall depending from said platform at one side of saidopening, an electric heater supported in said platform opening, saiddepending wall having an aperture therein, a horizontal :bar attached tosaid heater and extending from one side thereof through said aperture toform a swiveling connection between said heater and said wall, latchingmeans at the opposite side of said platform opening engageable with aportion of said heater for retaining the latter in a horizontal positionin the platform opening and spring means connected between the outer endof said bar and said wall for biasing said heater horizontally intolatching engagement with said latching means, said spring means being soconstructed and arranged as to prevent withdrawal of said bar from saidaperture.

2. An electric heater structure comprising a generally horizontalplatform having an opening therein and a depending wall at the edge ofsaid opening, said wall having an aperture formed therein, an inwardlyextending ledge carried by said vertical wall, a sheathed electricresistance heater coiled to form a flat heating surface, supportingmeans attached to said heater and having outwardly projecting portionssupported by said ledge, said heater having a pair of terminal portionsextending beneath and to one side of said structure, electrical terminalmembers carried by said terminal portions for making electricalconnections to said heater, a metal bar fastened to said heater andextending horizontally above said terminal portions, the outer end ofsaid bar being formed with a spring anchoring abutment, a helicaltension spring having a loop at each end thereof, one of said loopsbeing attached to said wall, the other of said loops being elongated inthe direction of the axis of said spring and encircling a portion ofsaid abutment, the aperture in said wall being proportioned to permitinsertion of the bar therethrough and also permitting tilting movementof the bar while preventing substantial transverse movement of the barwithin the aperture, said spring being disposed relative said wall andabutment for preventing withdrawal of said bar from the aperture in saidwall, said spider having a portion at the side of said heaterdiametrically opposite the bar held in latched engagement with said wallby the tension force of said spring for securing the heater in ahorizontal position.

3. An electric heater structure comprising a platform having an openingtherein, a heater supporting ring carried by said platform, said ringhaving a flange overlying the periphery of said opening and a verticalwall depending from said flange Within said opening, said wall having anaperture therein at one side of said ring, a sheathed electricresistance heater coiled to form a flat heating surface, supportingmeans attached to said heater and having outwardly projecting portionssupported by said wall, means for making electrical connections to saidheater, a metal bar fastened to said heater and extending through theaperture in said vertical wall of said ring at one side of said platformopening, the end of said bar outside of said ring being formed with aspring anchoring means, a spring fastened to said ring and to saidanchoring means for biasing said heater toward the side of said ringopposite the aperture therein, the aperture in said ring member being ofsuch size and shape as to permit insertion of the bar therethrough andpermitting tilting movement, but preventing substantial transversemovement of said bar therein, said spring being so disposed whenattached to said ring and to said anchoring means as to interfere withthe withdrawal of said bar from the ring aperture, said heatersupporting means having a latching portion at the side of said heateropposite the bar engageable with said ring and held in latchedengagement therewith by the biasing force of said spring, said barextending beneath a portion of said platform to retain one side of saidring in the platform opening, the other side of said ring being providedwith means for securing it to said platform.

4. An electric heater structure comprising a generally horizontalsupporting platform having an opening therein, a heater supporting ringcarried by said platform, said ring having a flange overlying theperiphery of said opening, a vertical Wall depending from said flangewithin said opening and an inwardly extending ledge carried by saidvertical wall, a sheathed electric resistance heater coiled to form aflat heating surface, a supporting spider attached to said heater andhaving outwardly projecting portions supported by said ledge, saidheater having a pair of terminal portions extending beneath and to theside of said structure, electrical terminal members carried by said endportions for making electrical connections to said heater, a metal platehaving a pair of openings through which said terminal portions extend,said plate being rigidly attached to said end portions and forming ashield to prevent the flow of drippage along said end portions to saidterminal members, a metal member fastened to said plate between said endportions, said metal member being bent to extend from said plate towardthe center of said heating surface, thence upwardly and thenhorizontally to form a bar extending in the direction away from thecenter of said heating surface above said plate in spaced relationshipthereto, said ringhaving an opening in the vertical wall thereof throughwhich said bar extends, the end of said bar being formed with a springanchoring abutment and a helical tension spring having a loop at eachend thereof, one of said loops being attached to said ring, the other ofsaid loops being elongated in the direction of the axis of said springand encircling a portion of said abutment, the opening in said ringmember being of such size as to permit insertion of said bartherethrough and permitting tilting movement but preventing substantialtransverse movement of said bar therein, said spring being so disposedwhen attached to said ring and to said strip member as to interfere withthe withdrawal of said bar from the opening in the ring, said s iderhaving a portion at the side of said heater diametrically opposite thebar held in locked engagement with said ring by the tension force ofsaid spring, said bar extending beneath a portion of said platform toretain one side of said ring in the platform opening, said ring beingprovided with means at the side opposite the opening therein forsecuring it to said platform.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

